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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331091">The Red Doe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/neurobeing/pseuds/neurobeing'>neurobeing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter Imagines [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Arguing, Dumbledore's Army, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts Era, Magic, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:15:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26331091</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/neurobeing/pseuds/neurobeing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reader has been struggling to cast a patronus, Harry offers his assistance, like any good boyfriend would. Things take a turn for the worse.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Potter/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter Imagines [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Red Doe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harry James Potter was being stupid, as usual.</p><p>You were part of Dumbledore’s Army, and you, out of everyone in the organization, were struggling the most to cast a Patronus Charm, simply because you had no happy memories. Not nearly as happy as they were supposed to be, anyway. Harry had been a kind enough boyfriend to offer you one-on-one lessons in the empty Room of Requirement.</p><p>You were with him for at least thirty minutes, getting gradually more frustrated because nothing, barely even a shimmer of light left the tip of your wand every time you said “Expecto Patronum”.</p><p>Harry was frustrating you even more. He was so dedicated to helping you, but it was just aggravating you even more. </p><p>“Harry, we should just stop. It’s not working,” You said, trying to not let your frustration show. You lowered your wand from it’s previously raised position. </p><p>“No, y/n, everyone else can do it, so can you,” He said. You could tell he was just trying to encourage you to keep going, but his perseverance was angering you more.</p><p>“Everyone?” You questioned, maybe a little more intimidating than you should have, feeling slightly embarrassed. “Even Neville? Why are you even comparing me to other people?” You said angrily. You were ware that you were being difficult, but you wanted him to understand your irritation.</p><p>“I”m not comparing you to anyone, y/n.” He said, putting his hands up.</p><p>“Yes, you are.” You said firmly. “Do you think I’m not as good as everyone else?”</p><p>“No! I’m not, I’m just saying you’re not digging deep enough.”</p><p>“Not digging deep enough? What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>“I mean you have to have some sort of happy memory. Everyone does, even me.” He said, his voice getting a little louder.</p><p>“There you go again comparing me.”</p><p>“How am I comparing you to anything?”</p><p>“You’re trying to make me feel bad that your life has been so rough that I should realize that I’ve been privileged. Well, Harry, you may not have noticed, but I don’t have any happy memories.” You practically yelled.</p><p>“You have to–”</p><p>Before he could finish, you cut him off, letting your anger take the better of you. You raised your wand once more, your anger clouding any good memories, and yelled: “Expecto Patronum!”</p><p>From the tip of your wand burst a doe. A patronus. A real patronus, and it matched Harry’s. </p><p>But it was not normal. </p><p>It was red, not silver. It wasn’t a typical corporal doe, it was almost glitching in and out of the air as it pranced around the room of requirement. There was not the typical whispy sound of magic, but rather a ghoulish sound–deep and howling, it felt like you casting a dementor into the room rather than a patronus.</p><p>You panicked, a chill ran down your spine, and you felt inclined to look away from the beast you created. The second you lost focus from it, it was as if the room cleared. The red doe was gone, just like that.</p><p>Harry was silent with shock. You felt cold, embarrassed even. Then you felt a sudden rush of anger. You turned to face Harry, his face was blank.</p><p>“See! Look! I made a fucking anti-patronus! It probably attracts dementors.” You said loudly. Your face felt hot with anger, maybe embarrassment. You felt useless; like you could only create monsters.</p><p>“Y/n, I…”</p><p>“This was your fault, Harry. If you didn’t make me do this, then that wouldn’t have happened.” You turned away from him.</p><p>You heard him breathe in loudly, you expected him to yell back at you and call you a monster. Instead, he exhaled. Then there was a hand on your shoulder. </p><p>“I…I’ve never seen that before. If you ask me, it’s pretty cool. I’m not even sure if Dumbledore could pull off something like that.” He was quiet for a second before continuing: “I mean, it even matches mine. Y’know, stag and doe. I’ve heard that’s good.</p><p>You felt suddenly happy. Harry was persistent, and he was stupid and frustrating because he was so dedicated to what he does. That’s what made you love him in the first place. Your patronus, even if it was a mangled doe, proved that what you felt for Harry was real, and powerful, not just some petty teenage romance. </p><p>You turned back to face him, looking him in the eyes before placing your head on his chest and wrapping your arms around him. You felt his arms slide around your waist. </p><p>“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” You said into his dress shirt.</p><p>“I’m sorry for forcing you to make a patronus,” He said into the top of your head. You only rubbed your hands along his spine in response. </p><p>* * *</p><p>It had been two weeks since the red doe incident. You and Harry had been practicing on the Patronus Charm nearly every day since. There had been no more anti-patronus from your wand, much less an authentic patronus.</p><p>It was the middle of a DA meeting. Most students were practicing dueling, but some were practicing random spells. </p><p>You saw Harry helping Cho with a spell, you felt a sudden rush of jealousy, but it vanished as quick as it came.</p><p>You stood, wand raised to nothing in particular, and you thought of Harry. You thought of the red doe. You thought of what it symbolized: true love. One might argue that matching patronuses meant soulmates. Maybe they were right.</p><p>“Expecto Patronum,” You said quietly, almost so no one could hear. From the tip of your wand burst a silver doe. The doe gracefully galloped around the room of requirement until it found Harry, and she pranced around him, then back to you. He turned his head and smiled at you, it was a wide and authentic toothy grin that showed off his dimples. </p><p>“Y/n’s cast a patronus!” You heard Neville yell. Fred and George cheered with joy, for they knew how much you struggled. Ginny clapped you on the back like a proud parent would. </p><p>You barely even realized that everyone was hollering in joy, you were too focused on Harry.</p>
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